Container closure



an exceptionally tight and reliable seal.

Patented May 28, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER CLOSUREporation of New York Application September 27, 1934, Serial No. 745,714

6 Claims. (Cl. 22061) It is the object of this invention to provide aform and arrangement of parts that shall yield Further objects andadvantages will be mentioned in, or will be apparent from, the followingdescription.

The invention comprises a sheet-metal container having a spoutterminating in an upwardly-extending margin, a supporting ringinternally of the spout margin, and a cap of relatively soft metal withan annular flange interposed between the spout margin and the ring.Preferably, the spout, which may be generally conical or cylindrical,has an internal shoulder immediately below its margin, and the latterhas a curled edge; and preferably the ring has an exterior circumbystamping from sheet metal, cutting from tubing, forming and weldingbands (both sides of which may be folded outwardly to give the exteriorcircumferential groove), or by any of numerous other well-known methods.

When the cap and the ring have been placed in position within the spoutmargin, mutual approximation of the spout margin and the ring iseffected-in ways familiar to those skilled in the art, as by externalpressure'upon the former (to constrict it) or-internal pressure upon thelatter to expand it): for example, the constriction of the spout marginmay be accomplished by means of revolving and rotating rollers-employingapparatus of the general type described in Westgate and Behrapplication-Serial No. 246,008, filed J anuary 11, 1928-which rollersmay have flat or concave edges to force inwardly the curled edge of thespout margin, or comparatively sharp edges to force inwardly the middleof the spout margin; and the expansion of the ring may be accomplishedby means of a suitable expanding tool inserted within the ring andbrought to bear against its interior surface.

In consequence of such mutual approximation, the cap flange is tightlyconfined, and completely fills an annular space, between the spoutmargin and the ring, and is thus caused to act as a gasket impervious toliquids, vapors, and gases, insuring a perfect seal. I

Access to the contents of the sealed container may be had by excisingthe cap along the inner edge of the ring or by transfixing the cap attwo points with a needle (for dropwise-dispensing), The understanding ofthe objects, advantages, and practice of the invention will befacilitated by reference to the accompanying drawings, representingfragmentary diametrical sections of container closures embodying theinvention:

Figures 1, 3, 5, and 7 being views of several modifications, with theparts loosely assembled; and

Figures 2, 4, 6, and 8 being views of the same modifications,respectively, with the spout margin and the ring mutually approximated.

In the drawings, l designates the spout of a sheet-metal ether containerhaving a conven tional body, and II is an internal shoulder, from whichthe spout margin I2 extends. Within the spout flange is a ring I3 andbetween the two is the annular flange I4 of the soft-metal cap l5. InFigures 1, 5 and 7 the ring has initially an exterior circumferentialgroove IS; in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 the ring is a folded band. InFigures 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, '7, and 8 the spout margin terminates in acurled edge, as at H. The forms shown in Figures 1, 5, and '7 are sealedby external pressure applied upon the spout margin by means ofsharp-edged rollers that produce the external circumferential groove l8;and the form shown in Figure 3 is sealed by internal pressure upon thering by means of an expanding tool that produces the internalcircumferential groove l9.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and examples aremerely illustrative and by no means limitative of the invention, which,as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, may

be variously otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a sheet-metal container, a spout having an upwardly-extending,pressure deformable margin, a supporting ring internally of the spoutmargin and; having an exterior circumferential groove, and a cap ofrelatively soft metal with an annular flange interposed between thespoutmargin and the ring, the spout margin having been approximated tothe ring by external pressure upon the spout margin to produce acircumferential groove therein. I

3. In a sheet-metal container, a spout having an upwardly extending,pressure deformable margin, a supporting ring internally of the spoutmargin and having an exterior circumferential groove, and a cap ofrelatively soft metal with a downwardly extending annular flangeinterposed between the spout margin and the ring, the spout marginhaving been approximated to the ring by external pressure upon the spoutmargin to produce a circumferential groove therein.

4. In a sheet-metal container, a spout having an upwardly extending,pressure deformable margin, a supporting ring internally of the spoutmargin and having an exterior circumferential groove, and a cap ofrelatively soft metal with an annular flange interposed between thespout margin and the ring, the ring being concealed from external view,and the spout margin having been approximated to the ring by externalpressure upon the spout margin to produce a circumferential groovetherein.

therein.

5. In a sheet-metal container, a spout having an internal shoulder and apressure-deformable margin extending upwardly therefrom, a supportingring internally of the spout margin and having an exteriorcircumferential groove, and

a cap of relatively soft metal with an annular flange interposed betweenthe spout margin and the ring, the cap and ring being supported on theshoulder, and the spout margin having been approximated to the ring byexternal substantially deforming pressure upon the spout margin.

-6. In a sheet-metal container, 2. spout having an internal shoulder anda pressure-deformable margin extending upwardly therefrom, a supportingring internally of the spout margin, resting on the shoulder, and havingan exterior cireumferential groove, and a cap of relatively soft metalwith a downwardly extending annular flange interposed between the spoutmargin and the ring, the spout margin having been approximated to thering by external pressure upon the spout margin to produce acircumferential groove FERDINAND W. NITARDY. RALPH S. WESTGA'I'E.STANTON E. WERNER.

